It is popular to adapt or modify firearms, as evidenced by the large availability of aftermarket accessories available to firearm users. Accessories add to a firearm's functionality or appearance. A recognized accessory to add to a firearm is a retractable, telescoping, or collapsible buttstock.
Conventional retractable buttstocks operate via the user manually sliding the buttpad on an extension or guide rods. Manual movement is needed from the user to slide the buttpad up and down the extension or rods, namely taking the firearm from a compact configuration to an outright configuration. Conventional retractable buttstocks are disadvantageous because the user needs to use both hands to operate the buttstock.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,162,822 to Heayn et al. discloses a collapsible buttstock for firearms having a buffer recoil mechanism is collapsible and adjustable. The buttstock includes a lower receiver extension having a bore therein that fits over the buffer recoil mechanism, the lower receiver extension being fixed to the buffer recoil mechanism; a buttstock body having a bore therein for receiving the lower receiver extension; a locking lever disposed along the bottom edge of the buttstock body; a locking pin disposed in the buttstock body and in the locking lever; and a compression spring disposed around the locking pin for biasing the locking pin towards the lower receiver extension. However, the user may still have to use both hands to operate the collapsible buttstock disclosed in Heayn.
Moreover, the personal defense weapon (PDW) was created in response to users who need a compact and portable weapon that can be carried with ease since the user may need to operate the PDW inside a vehicle or other tight spaces. Users of PDWs, such as law enforcement, private security groups, and military personnel, find themselves in situations where they must be able to quickly transition from inside a vehicle or carrier and straight into a combat or live-fire situation. Accordingly, the user's PDWs need to be quickly adapted and easily operated.
Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved design for a buttstock that can be quickly changed from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration with less manual effort and input from the user.